


It’s a Heartache

by Faith280



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: M/M, Mentions of miscarriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-07 14:08:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 20,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17962037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faith280/pseuds/Faith280
Summary: Tucker has his heart set on having another baby, and Wash disagrees with him. He feels that something bad would happen, but Tucker is a professional con artist. How could Wash say no to that adorable face? After all, it’s only Wash being paranoid...





	1. 1

 

“Tucker, what the hell are you doing? Why are you throwing everything out of the closet?”

Wash couldn’t believe the mess he had dragged out of the hall closet.

  
Tucker’s voice was muffled by the closet. “Seeing how much room we’d have if we got rid of the closet to make a room.”

  
Wash frowned. “Why do want to do that?” He grabbed Tucker’s arm and pulled him out. “Come out so I can yell at you.”

  
Tucker gave Wash his best innocent look. “Why? It’s a good idea to have a spare bedroom.”

  
“For what?”

  
Tucker couldn’t look Wash in the eyes. “Oh, I don’t know…a guest room, a playroom for Chloe…a nursery…”He mumbled that last part.

  
“Chloe just turned 3, a playroom is a good idea, but she’s a bit too old for nursery.”

  
He knew exactly where Tucker was going with this scheme. In the last year, he had driven Wash crazy with the idea that they should have a baby together.

Wash disagreed, he used every distraction he could think of to get Tucker’s mind off another kid. Now, it got harder and harder, Wash was out of ideas.

  
Tucker wouldn’t give up easily. “You know, I’ve been babysitting Grif and Simmons’ three kids a lot. Chloe’s been a big help. She would be a great big sister. This way she’ll always have someone to play with.”

  
“I know, I’m proud of her. If she wants a playmate, little Dexter is right next door to play with her.”

  
“That’s not what I mean.”

  
“I know that. I know you want another kid, maybe in the future we can try adopting another one.”

  
Tucker didn’t turn away in time, Wash saw the pain on his face. “I really wanted to have a kid with you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. It meant a lot to me.”

He started kicking at the junk he dragged out of the closet.  
Wash sighed. Damnit, he hated it when Tucker acted like this, he acted as bad as Chloe sometimes.

He put his hands on Tucker’s shoulders and pulled him closer to him.

  
“You know I would love to have to have a baby with you, but I can’t. If you want one that badly, why don’t you have it? You had Junior, would it be so bad a second time?”

  
“Yes! You have no idea how bad that hurt. Anyway, after the first time you said no to having a baby, I sorta looked into it with Dr. Grey.”

  
“Oh, I never knew about that.”

  
“Yeah, it seems that after having a hyper alien like Junior, it can kinda wreck your chances of having any others.”

  
“That’s how badly you wanted another baby?”

  
Tucker shrugged. “Well yeah, I love kids and I love you. It seemed to work out perfectly, until now.” His eyes filled with tears.

  
There went the Tucker drama king routine. Damnit, I can’t believe I may fall for this again. Wash had to be strong. Tucker was a professional con artist. He was also too damned adorable.

  
Wash tightened his grip on Tucker and laid his cheek against Tucker’s wavy black hair. He couldn’t believe he would even consider having the baby.

  
“All right Tucker, I’ll make a deal with you. First, get rid of your junk from this closet. Second, find out how much it will cost to add a small bedroom. Then I will consider, MAYBE, having a baby with you.”

  
Tucker couldn’t believe it, the tears ran down his face. Wash never seen him look that happy.

“You mean you’re not saying no?”

  
“I’m not saying yes either.”

  
But in Tucker’s mind, that was as good as saying yes. “Okay, I have a lot of work to get done. You know what? I think we ought to paint the nursery blue. Betcha we’d have a boy.”

  
“Tucker! Don’t get carried away. By the time you finish cleaning out that junk, Chloe will be in college. So don’t get your hopes up.”

  
Tucker made a face. “Yeah yeah. You’re always a major buzzkill, you never want to have fun.”

  
“Well, if someone wouldn’t be such a smart ass, I wouldn’t have to yell so much.”

  
They were both smiling. It took them back to the early days when Wash was first assigned leader of the Blue Team, and Tucker constantly gave him a hard time. Who knew they would end up where they were?

  
They were perfect opposites that managed to stay together for over three years. That’s a record for Tucker, he usually couldn’t make it past three dates without being dumped.

Wash was exactly what he needed, and it took him years to realize it. Now, he never wanted to be separated from Wash.

  
Wash was super serious about his military career. He only had relationships with two other people. When his first boyfriend, Agent North Dakota, was killed in battle, it broke his heart. It took forever for him to casually date Carolina. She never officially got over her ex, so it wasn’t meant to be for the two of them.

  
That’s what led him to Tucker. That’s how the two bonded. That’s why Wash adopted Tucker’s daughter, Chloe. That’s why life was so perfect the way it was.

  
Why did it seem like one little baby could end his dream life?


	2. Chapter 2

  
  
“Ahh Wash, help!” An avalanche of clothes fell on Tucker’s head. “What am I supposed to do with all this shit?”

  
Wash tried hard not to laugh at him. “That’s easy, pitch them.”

  
“What if I need them later on?”

  
“Those clothes have been buried in the closet for three years, I don’t think you’ll be missing them.”

  
“But What about these coats?”

  
“Chorus is climate controlled, you don’t need a winter coat.”

  
Tucker sighed over dramatically. This wasn’t the way his scheme was supposed to work out. “This is hard, can I have a hand?”

  
Wash shook his head, he knew he would get stuck with this, one way or another. “No, how badly do you want that nursery built? Figure this out for yourself.”

  
Wash planned on listening to Tucker’s whining for a while longer before helping him out. He was trying to teach Tucker to be more responsible; if it was even possible.

  
Chloe came out of her bedroom. She had a new tea set, and she wanted to have a tea party with her dolls.

When she lived with her mom, she never had many toys, now that she had two dads to spoil her, she had enough dolls to play with.

  
She went running for Wash. “Hi Daddy!” He picked her up and gave her a big hug.

  
“Hey Chloe girl, you being good for dad today?”

  
She gave a big angelic smile, she looked so much like Tucker when she smiled like that. “Yeah, he got me a tea set for my dolls. Wanna have tea with me?”

  
Chloe was the sweetest little girl, Wash still couldn’t figure out why her mother wanted to abuse her as badly as she did.

Chloe had been with Wash and Tucker for a little over a year. She had a lot of issues, mostly out of fear, but she fit in right away with the two of them.

Even though Tucker was her real dad, in some ways, she bonded with Wash a little more.

  
“Sure, I’d love to. Let me supervise your dad a little longer, and I’ll join your tea party.”

  
Chloe looked at Tucker’s mess and giggled. “Daddy made a mess!”

  
Tucker laughed and stuck his tongue at her, which made her giggle harder. Those two were so much alike.

Then Tucker had a brainstorm. “Hey Chloe, you wanna earn a dollar?”

  
Wash interrupted him. “Oh no you don’t. This is your project, don’t con your own daughter.”

  
He shrugged “Oh well, I tried.” He was still laughing.

  
“What’s Daddy doing?” Chloe was trying to figure it out.

  
Wash took her hand and led her toward her bedroom. “Nothing, he’s just cleaning. Let’s go have a tea party.”

  
Tucker had finished filling his last garbage bag when Wash came to check on him.

  
He gave a quick inspection. “Very good Tucker. It’s amazing how much work you can get down when you quit whining about it.”

  
“I know, I did good.” He had the tape measure in his hand. “How the hell do I measure this?”

  
Wash grabbed it from him. “Here.” He showed him how to get the measurements. “Make sure you write them down, you won’t remember it. Then finish up, I’m making dinner.”

  
“What is it tonight?”

  
“Chloe wants chicken nuggets.”

  
“Good choice, I’ll be done soon.”

  
They sat down for a nice family dinner. Tucker teased and joked with Chloe. He was such a natural with kids. It took Wash some time to learn how to be a father, but Tucker took right to it.

  
It was hard to believe that Chloe was that scared little girl, hiding under a table. She would barely talk, now she was laughing.

Would it be so horrible to have another child like Chloe?

  
“Wash! Are you okay?” Tucker looked all concerned.

  
“Yeah, I’m fine, just spaced out for a minute.” He laughed it off.

  
“I’m gonna get Ms Chloe ready for bed, then I’ll come help you clean up.”

  
“Okay, take your time. There’s not much of a mess.”

  
By the time Tucker got back, Wash had the kitchen spotless.

“Oh I’m sorry, I tried to hurry, but Chloe wanted two stories. You know how I can’t say no to her.”

  
Wash put his arm him. “Don’t worry about it, your daughter should always come first.”

  
“She’s waiting for you to say goodnight to her.”

  
Wash quietly walked across the hall to Chloe’s room. “Hi sweetie, you all ready for bed?”

  
“You have to kiss me goodnight first.” She held out her arms.

  
He gave her a hug and a kiss. “Did your dad ask you before if you’d mind having a brother or sister?”

  
“Yes, he told me I could I can help take care of it, and I’ll have someone to play with.”

  
“So, if we were to have one, you’re okay with that?”

  
“Yep, Dex has a little brother and sister, they’re really fun. I like them.”

  
“Okay, Thanks sweetie. I’ll think about that. Go get some sleep. Good night.”

  
“Night Daddy.”

  
He turned her nightlight on and left the door half open. That was how she liked to sleep.

  
Tucker had the bedroom ready for Wash. He was already under the sheets, setting the alarm clock for work in the morning. He looked up and flashed Wash his incredible smile when he entered the room. More than once Wash wondered, why does he love me this much?

  
At this moment, Wash really a baby, but he wasn’t excited to be the one to have the baby. He hated to admit that he was scared. Agent Washington, a kickass Freelancer, afraid of a little pain.

  
He went into the bathroom to shower, then joined Tucker in bed. He turned off the lights, and Tucker snuggled closer to him. Wash didn’t know why, but he made his decision.

  
“Tucker, I’m going to regret this, but I will try to have a baby with you. I just can’t promise you that it will work out.”

  
Tucker gasped when he said. “You mean, you’re saying yes, for real?”

  
“Yes, but there are still no guarantees. If the baby doesn’t take, I don’t want you being disappointed.”

  
“No way, I can handle it.”

  
Wash frowned, ‘Yeah right, who is he kidding?’

  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

 

Tucker downed his coffee in a hurry. As usual, he was running late for work, and was wasting more time rushing around like an idiot.

  
“Tucker, Calm down. You sleep in every morning, and always manage to get to work on time.”

  
“Oh Wash, before I forget, I got the contractor’s phone number from Grif the other day. The guy’s last name is Sawyer. Simmons liked the work he did on the twins’ room. If you get time later, can you give him a call?”

  
Wash took the paper. “I have plans this morning, I can call later this afternoon. But this had better not cost us a fortune.”

  
“Nah, even Grif said he was reasonable. You’re off today, what plans do you have?”

  
Wash didn’t want to tell him, but figured he should. “I called Dr. Grey this morning, and she said I should come down and talk to her. I’ll find out more information of the whole procedure.”

  
Tucker’s eyes lit up. “So this is official?”

  
“I’m only getting the information. Give me some time, I have to work up to this.”

  
“Okay, I can handle that. Shit, I really am late. I had Chloe half way ready for her preschool.”

  
Wash forced the coffee cup from his hand. “You get to work, I’ll drop Chloe off at school on my way to the doctor’s. So scram.”

  
Wash hated this, Dr. Grey freaked him out. To be fair, the woman had saved his life on more than one occasion, but he felt ill at ease around her. He regretted ever agreeing to this.

  
He went to get Chloe. “Are you ready? You’re as slow as your dad with getting ready. Eat your cereal, we have to leave soon.”

  
She climbed on her chair and only ate about three bites of her cereal. “There Daddy, I’m all done.”

  
“Oh come on, you need more than that. At least drink your orange juice.”

  
She finished the juice and held up a pink ribbon to Wash. “Can I have this in my hair? Daddy didn’t have enough time today.”

  
Oh lord. “Give it here, I’ll figure it out.” He tried, but it was a sloppy attempt and it fell from her hair.

“Sorry, I tried. Can you go one day without it?”

  
She looked disappointed. “I guess so.” Her face looked just like Tucker’s when something didn’t go right for him. They were experts in pouting.

  
“Thank you, we’re late, we’ve got to get going.”

  
He walked to her class, she held his hand the entire time. As soon as he took her inside, she ran from him to play with her best friend Dex. Wash tried to tell her goodbye, but she wasn’t listening. It was so flattering to be ignored by his daughter.

  
Now came the part he was dreading. He wished Dr. Grey could act normal just for once.

“Agent Washington, come on in!” No, there was no chance of that. She was as weird as ever.

  
He felt so stiff and nervous as he sat down in her office. “Relax, I don’t bite. So you and Tucker are finally trying for a baby?”

  
“Yes, pretty much. I’m not completely positive but Tucker really wants one.”

  
Grey nodded. “I know, he was here a couple of months ago, shortly after Simmons had his twins. He was saying how he really wanted to be a father again. He cried his eyes out when I told him he couldn’t have any more.”

  
“Oh god, I never knew about that. I didn’t even know he talked to you about it until yesterday.” He felt horrible. Tucker should be able to tell him anything.

  
“I’m glad he was able to talk you into it. I still think it’s so sweet how you two adopted his little girl. Tucker can be a handful to put up with, but he’s a real saint when it comes to kids. He deserves to have more of them.”

  
Wash felt even worse, now it was becoming more positive he would have to have the baby for Tucker. Damnit, he still couldn’t believe this was happening. “What all do I need to do?”

  
“First off, you need some hormone shots. That way your body will be able to handle carrying the baby. When that’s in your system, I mix some of your DNA with Tucker’s and grow the baby in my lab. It’s implanted and you carry it until we do a C-section, and you guys are parents.”

  
Wash hated to ask. “How bad does this hurt?”

  
“You won’t feel much of anything until you go into labor, then you get painkillers. It won’t be that bad. Especially for a big time Freelancer Agent. You can handle this. Can I start you on the shots today since you’re here?”

  
Great, now he was really was suckered into it. “Yes, I guess so…”

He wanted to scream ‘no way’ and run out of the office. Then, he thought of Tucker. He wanted this so badly. Wash owed it to him to keep him happy.

  
Grey prepped his arm and jabbed him with the needle. He could hardly keep from the screaming. How the hell was he going to handle the next nine months?

  
Man, Tucker owed him big time for this.

  



	4. Chapter 4

 

Wash still felt numb when he got home. He called the contractor, he would be over tomorrow to give an estimate. Everything was falling into place, this was really going to happen.

  
The phone rang, it was Simmons. “Hello Wash, how’s things going with your guest room?”

  
“I got ahold of the contractor earlier and it’s pretty much all ready to go.”

  
“That sounds good.”

  
Wash didn’t want to bring this up, but he trusted talking to Simmons. “Uh, did Tucker say anything about why we’re getting the second room?”

  
“He told Grif he wanted a second kid, but he didn’t think you’d go for it.”

  
“Well, I went to Dr. Grey’s and between talking to her and Tucker, I’ve decided to try for a baby.”

  
“Wow, that’s great! Are you excited ?”

  
“I’m scared.” Try terrified.

  
“I know how you feel. When I was first trying for Dex, it was terrifying.”

  
Wash felt better knowing how he felt was normal. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank god, I thought it was just me.”

  
“No way, it gets scarier when you get to carry the actual baby. But I promise you, it’s all worth it. There’s no other feeling like it in the world. You’ll love it.”

  
For the first time since he agreed to have the baby, Wash calmed down. “I love having Chloe around, so I’ll love having this baby around too.” He was talking more to himself than to Simmons.

  
“Yes exactly. You’re already a great father.”

  
“Thank you, I really needed to hear this.”

  
“So I take it Tucker conned you into having the baby.” He chuckled over that.

  
“Yeah…he kind of did. But I’m glad he did. I never would have done this on my own.”

  
“That’s what partners are for, they drive you crazy, but you still love them anyway. If you want to come over and talk some more, Dex and Chloe can play. We just have to put up with the twins.”

  
“Okay, that sounds good. I’ll pick up Dex for you when I get Chloe, and I’ll see you in a little while.”  
He left to pick the kids.

He went into the classroom and Chloe and Dex were still playing, while waiting for their dads to pick them up.

  
Chloe went running to Wash. “Hi Daddy, look what I drew for you today.” She gave him a picture of a brown scribbled blob shape that Wash couldn’t identify.

  
“Wow, that’s great Chloe . Thank you.”

  
“I drew you a horsie cause I want one for real.”

  
“Uh, I don’t think that’s going to happen. But you can draw a really nice one.”

  
She gave him a big smile, she was happy with her drawing.

  
“Hi Dex, I’m here to pick you up for your dad. I’m going visit him for a while, so you two can play a while longer.”

  
“Yay, Thanks Uncle Wash.”

  
When the kids got home, they went outside to swing. Simmons had a pot of coffee ready and they sat at the kitchen table for a while.

The twins got fussy and Simmons brought them out.  
Wash volunteered to hold Mira. Jacob always preferred staying close to Simmons. He had yet to grow out of his clingy stage.

  
Mira was nearly recovered from her recent pneumonia scare. She had a little bit of a cough at times. But she was back to playing with her brothers. She had a major attitude, but in general was a happy, smiley baby.

And she was being very agreeable with Wash, he was her favorite babysitter.

  
“You see Wash, this family stuff isn’t so bad.”

  
“Yes, I see that.”

  
Grif came through the door and had to ruin the pleasant moment. “Ha Wash, I heard from Tucker that you gave in with all his baby crap. I told you wouldn’t win.”

  
Simmons glared at him. “Shut up, if you’re going to act immature, go play with the kids. Sorry about his mouth Wash.”

  
“Don’t worry, I know better than to listen to him. Ugh, it’s getting late, Tucker’s probably home by now.” He passed Mira over to Grif. “Chloe come on, it’s time to go.”

  
They came through the door right after Tucker had. “Oh, that’s where you guys are. I was wondering where you were.”

  
“I was talking with Simmons, he was giving me some advice.”

  
“Oh yeah?”

  
“Yeah, I need to talk to you alone. Come into the bedroom, we have to work this out.”

  
Tucker was worried where this was going. Wash looked so serious. He didn’t want to ruin this relationship like he had with so many other lovers.

  
Wash sat on the bed. “I want to tell you something. You know I love you more than anything right?”

  
Tucker nodded, he was getting scared. Yeah, I love you too.”

  
“You know I would do anything for you.”

  
Tucker had to interrupt. “I’m not trying to talk you into something you don’t want. I know I go overboard about what I want, if you don’t want a baby, I understand. I don’t want to lose you over it.” He was ready to cry.

  
“No Tucker, shut up, that’s not what I mean, I’m not breaking up with you. I’m saying I want to have a baby with you. Talking to Simmons made me realize it, I’m not the only one who’s scared, it’s normal. I started the hormone shots. We are going through with this.”

  
“Like we’re having the baby now?”

  
“Well not this minute, but soon.”

  
Tucker gave him a big hug, there were tears in his eyes. “Oh my god, this is so awesome. Can I tell Chloe the good news?”

  
Wash had to admit he was a little choked up too. “Sure, get her prepared for the new baby.”

  
That felt so weird to say it out loud. He guessed it was time he got ready for the new baby.


	5. Chapter 5

 

Poor Wash spent the next two weeks being poked and prodded by an extremely overexcited and psychotic doctor.

The bloodwork was the worst part. That woman was merciless with the needle.  
Wash felt like he would need a transfusion when he was done.

But He was very stoic. On the inside, he was screaming, but on the outside he was cool and calm. Tucker watched him in amazement.

  
“How the hell are you not screaming. She held that needle like a damned butcher knife.”

  
“You forget I’m a well trained Freelancer, pain means nothing.” Tucker didn’t ever need to know the truth.

  
Next was Tucker’s turn. He wasn’t quite so graceful. Dr. Grey came at him with the needle.

“Uh, I think I change my mind; I’m good without this. Wash, we can just go home now.”

  
“Oh no you don’t.” Wash held him by his shoulders. “If I have to do it, so do you.”

  
Grey prepped his arm so she could take the blood samples. He starting screaming.Grey rolled her eyes. “Seriously Tucker, I didn’t do anything yet. Chill out.”

  
Then the needle went in. Wash could hardly hold him down. “Tucker, if you behave, it wouldn’t hurt so much. How badly do you want this baby? You have to do this.”

  
That worked, he still yelled, but he let the Doctor get blood samples she needed.

  
“There, was that really so bad guys?” Grey stood back looking so proud of herself.

Wash and Tucker just looked at her with shocked looks on their faces. She tortures them and thinks it’s fun.

  
Wash recovered first. “So what happens now?”

  
“I take all the DNA samples and grow the baby in my lab.”

  
Tucker frowned. “How do you ‘grow’ a baby like that?”

  
“I can grow the baby in a special incubator that I designed myself.” She sounded so smug.

  
“Sorry I asked.” Tucker rolled his at eyes at her. He whispered to Wash. “and we’re seriously trusting her with our baby?”

  
Wash couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Cut it out, this is serious.” He still couldn’t stop laughing. “So, how long until we know if this works?”

  
“The baby should be ready for you in about a week, maybe a little longer, but not too much more.”

  
Tucker looked confused. “You sound so positive that there will be a baby.”

  
Dr. Grey didn’t even have to think about it. “There will be, I know what I’m doing. It always works.”

  
“Oh-Kay, Wash, I’m gonna go outside, I don’t think I can take much more. You can deal with Doctor Strange here.”

  
“Good, leave.” He wanted to talk to Grey, but didn’t know where to start. He was very quiet. “What if something happens to the baby or to me?”

  
Grey was honest. “Look at all the trouble Simmons had with having his twins, and all three of them were fine. This is life we’re talking about. There are no guarantees. All we can do is give it our best shot. I know what I’m doing. I can get you through this.”

  
He nodded, it was so true. He came close to dying so many times in his life, but he was still alive. He was here for a reason. Maybe it was time to start living.

“Yes, I guess you’re right. Thank you, I appreciate this.”

  
“Of course I am, I’m always right, it’s a curse. I’ll call you when your baby is ready to meet you. This will be great, I promise.”

  
Tucker was waiting for him in the car. He didn’t want to tell Tucker the thoughts that ran through his head.

  
But one look at his face, and Tucker knew something was wrong with him.  
“All right, out with it. What’s bothering you now.”

  
He couldn’t stop it, he blurted out all his worries. “What if something happens to me during this ‘pregnancy’? How would Chloe take it if I died?”

  
“Oh god, don’t even start.”

  
“I’m serious, she will still have you, so she’ll be fine. You’re the beneficiary to my will, I’m leaving you full custody of Chloe. But I know she loves me, I don’t want to traumatize her.”

  
“Don’t do this to me. You’re tough. Nothing’s gonna happen to you.”

  
“This is the right decision, isn’t it?”

  
Tucker pulled Wash close to him. He pulled down the rear view mirror so he could see their reflection.

  
“You see that? Picture our little boy. He has your beautiful face, and my darker skin and eyes. That’s what I picture our kid looking like. How can that not be the right choice?”

  
Wash got choked up. Tucker was right. He could be an air headed drama king one minute, and the wisest person in the world the next minute.

  
That was one of the many reasons Wash loved him so much. But never had he felt the true love bond that he felt thinking about Tucker and their child.

  
“You’re so positive that it’s going to be a boy?”

  
“Yeah, I just feel it. Don’t you?”

  
Wash never thought about it until now. “You know, I really do feel that you’re right.”

  
“Are you feeling better now. You don’t have any more plans of perishing on me?”

  
Wash smiled. “No, I’m good now.” He wished he talked to Tucker sooner. “Let’s go home and spend some family time together with Chloe.”

  
“Awesome idea babe.”

  
For the first time, Wash could relax and not have to dread the next nine months.  


 


	6. Chapter 6

 

“Hey Wash, you got any ideas on how you wanna decorate the nursery?”

Tucker shouted out from the new bedroom. The problem was, Wash was in the kitchen.

  
“Damnit Tucker, quit screaming questions at me from across the house. Come and tell me.”

  
“Oh yeah, there you are. How are we decorating the nursery?”

  
“I heard you the first time.”

  
“Then why the hell did you tell me to stop yelling?”

  
“Because you can’t yell all the way from the other side of the house. It sets a bad example for Chloe.”

  
Tucker was confused. “Why? I wanted to make sure you heard me.”

  
“Ugh, let it go. Why are you worried about the decorating? We don’t for sure there’s a baby yet. Dr. Grey said it would take at least two weeks to tell if I’m pregnant.”

  
“Yes you are. Those first couple of days you got really sick.”

  
“The doctor said that could be from the hormone shots. They can make me nauseous. That’s why we have to wait for the ultrasound.”

  
Tucker shook his head. “We are having a baby, it’s obvious.”

  
“Fine then, whatever. Still, why do you want to start on decorating so early?”

  
“So freaking Donut doesn’t want to come in and do it himself. I want the ideas to come from both of us. I want his nursery to be unique for him.”

  
“You still think it’s a boy? What are you going to do if it’s a girl?”

  
“Love our daughter as much as I would our son. I love all my kids. She would be another Chloe.”

  
Wash almost wished he was having a girl. A second Chloe sounded great. He hated to admit it to Tucker, but he knew he was pregnant, and that it was a boy. It was weird how they both knew it.

  
He didn’t want to encourage Tucker’s bad behavior, so he would keep quiet for another week, and have Dr. Grey tell him about the baby.

  
“I was going out to pick up some paint. What shade of blue should I get?”

  
“Make sure it’s a light color. That’s more relaxing for a little baby.”

  
“Yeah, that sounds good. I have an idea of what to pick up. I’m gonna take Chloe with me. She has a good sense of style, she’ll help me.”

  
“Good, she can babysit you.”

  
“You wanna come with us?”

  
“No thanks, I’ll clean up some in the nursery. It’s still kind of dusty in there, it just got finished yesterday.”

  
He didn’t want to admit to Tucker he was having morning sickness. Tucker loved to overreact to every symptom Wash developed. He planned on being sick in the bathroom more than actual cleaning.

  
Chloe came running out to the kitchen. She threw her arms around Wash’s waist. “Morning Daddy!”

  
He put his arms around her. “Good morning honey.”

  
She had become a little more clingy with Wash in the last week. He worried she would become jealous of the baby. He planned on making sure she got plenty of one on one time with either him or Tucker.

  
“You all ready to go shopping with your dad?”

  
“Yep, he’s letting me wear my favorite dress.” She had her light pink dress with lacy trim. She was very girlie, she loved dressing like a princess.

  
“I see that, you look like a little princess.”

  
She gave a big smile at that comment. That was what she trying for.

  
“All right Princess Chloe, get your royal shoes on so we can get the paint for your brother’s room.”

  
He wished Tucker wouldn’t get her hopes up that she’ll have a brother, he was going to drive Wash crazy by the time the baby was born.

A wave of nausea came over him. He may not be able to hang on until Tucker left.

  
“Do you feel okay babe, you look kinda pale.” Tucker talked quietly so Chloe won’t be concerned.

  
“Yes, I’m fine.” Another wave hit him, he almost doubled over from it.

  
Tucker overreacted just like Wash knew he would. He was at his side in a second. “No way am I leaving you now.”

  
As fast as the nausea hit, it faded away. “Don’t worry about it, it’s only morning sickness. It’ll go away as fast as it comes.”

  
Tucker got a big smile. “Uh-huh, you know damn well these’s a baby, don’t you?”

  
“Yes, but watch what you say around Chloe. I want to make sure I’m right before we get her hopes up.”

  
“Okay, that’s cool. Are you sure you don’t want me sticking around for a while to make sure you’re alright?”

  
“No, you and Chloe go shopping, and I promise I’ll lay down and rest for awhile.”

  
“You promise?”

  
Wash rolled his eyes. “I said I promised, and I will.”

  
“Oh, and you’re getting bitchy too. That’s a good sign.” Tucker made sure he was far enough way to not get slugged.

  
Wash couldn’t hold back his smile, it was his trademark crooked, dorky smile. It lit up his whole face.

“Yes I am, so you better watch out. It’s best to get out of my face.” He wished he had something to throw at Tucker.

  
Tucker loved to see that smile. It made his heart melt every time. He never saw it often enough. “Uh-oh, I’m glad I’m out of here.” He gave Wash his own incredible smile.

  
It felt so good to joke around with the man he loved. No worrying about the kids, work, bills; it was only the two of them. Wash wished it could be this easygoing more often.

  
Tucker came over to give him a kiss and pulled Wash closer in a loving embrace. Wash didn’t want to let him go.

  
Chloe came in the kitchen. “Daddy, I’m all ready.”

  
They reluctantly broke their embrace. She ruined the moment.

“Have fun you guys. Tucker, don’t you dare spend a fortune. Pick up some paint, that’s all.”

  
Tucker mocked his tone and gave him a fake salute. “Yes Dad!” He ducked out the door before Wash could hit him.

  
Wash smiled and shook his head. That moron will never grow up. The humor didn’t last. A strong a wave of nausea hit. He was running to the bathroom.

  
Damn, all his years of military training never prepared him for this…

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

Wash stretched out on his bed for a minute. He thought laying down would help the sick feeling go away. The next thing he realized Tucker was quietly calling him from the doorway.

  
Wash jumped awake, he didn’t even remembered falling asleep. “Sorry Tucker, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

  
“No, you need your rest, you never sleep at night. If I knew you were sleeping, I wouldn’t have come in. Do you feel any better?” Tucker sat beside him on the bed.

  
“Yes, I really needed that nap. Now at least I have an actual reason to get more sleep.”

  
Tucker had something hidden behind his back. He pulled out a bouquet of red carnations and a small box of candy.

  
“I felt bad since you’re the one that has to carry the baby and get sick. This is a little gift to say I love you.” He opened up the candy box and offered it to him.

  
“Aww, you didn’t have to do that. I can handle the flowers, I still feel kind of queasy to eat the candy though.”

  
“No biggie, I can eat them for you.”

  
Tucker gave Wash a hand with getting up.  
“Did you find the paint you wanted?”

  
“Uh Yeah…”

  
Wash didn’t like the way he answered. He took in a deep breath. “What did you do?”

  
Tucker squirmed. He didn’t want to answer the question. “Well…I sorta couldn’t help looking at the baby section of the store, and I kinda spaced out. I know you said not to buy anything, and I don’t know how this happened…”

  
Oh lord. “What did you buy?” This explains why Tucker brought him flowers, Wash should have known better. He rushed to the nursery.

  
There stood a blue wicker bassinet and a light blue dresser. Each with a subtle white elephant pattern background. On the floor stood a large light blue stuffed elephant. Wash wanted to strangle him.

  
“Why is there an elephant in the room? What is all this? I said to just buy the paint today.”

  
“I swear that’s all I was going to buy. The stuffed elephant was Chloe’s fault. She really wanted to get it for her little brother. Hearing how much she cares about him already, I couldn’t say no to her. And since I bought him one, I had to get the pink elephant for her, cause it’s only fair.”

  
Wash felt a twinge if guilt. “The toy I can understand, why did you rush into the bassinet and dresser?”

  
“Because of the elephant pattern, Chloe unintentionally picked out our decorating scheme.”

  
“I think it’s cute, but which credit card did you use? I don’t think we can afford all this at once. You go overboard on every idea you get, why don’t stop and think once in a while.”

  
“Daddy, is it my fault you’re mad?”

  
Wash didn’t hear Chloe come in. She heard him yelling, she still had bad memories from living with her mom, she yelled at Chloe all the time. Every time she heard Wash or Tucker yell, she got scared easily.

  
She carried her pink elephant in with her. She stood looking at Wash with big, scared eyes.

She was so badly abused when they adopted her that it took almost two weeks to realize that she would never be abused again.

  
She had major PTSD issues. She kept waiting for one of them to hit her. Wash noticed she had bruises all over her. She woke up screaming every night. When Wash would raise his voice, she ran to hide in her room. The worst was when she spilled her juice at breakfast, she cried for Wash not to hurt her.

  
It scared Wash to see what hell an innocent little girl had been put through. That’s how they bonded. He knew how she felt, he was put through hell his entire life.

  
“Here, you can have my elephant back if it will make you happy again.”

  
Those big brown eyes filled with tears as she held up her elephant to give to Wash.

  
He knelt down in front of her, and put his arms around her. He took a tissue and wiped her eyes.

  
“No honey, it’s okay, you keep your elephant. I’m not mad at you, I’m proud of you for thinking about your baby brother. I’m mad at your father. I told him not to do something and he did it anyway.”

  
Tucker looked guilty. “I’m sorry Wash. I just really love the baby already.”

He put one arm around Chloe and pulled her close. He put his arm around Wash. “You guys know how much I love you both.”

  
He gave a hopeful look to Wash that he would be forgiven. Chloe mimicked Tucker’s expression. Wash was outnumbered. One Tucker was bad enough, now he had two.

  
“Ugh, Okay I’m not mad. Tucker, I swear do not buy anything else for a while. We’ll find some to pay these things off.”

  
He went out to the kitchen to make lunch. Chloe followed. She loved to help Wash cook. She was getting good at it.

  
“Here Chloe, you can put some butter on the bread so I can fry the grilled cheese. Good job honey.” She was all proud of herself.

  
Tucker came out carrying the flowers. “Wash, when I gave these to you it wasn’t so I could get out of trouble. I meant what I said, I really, really, really love you.”

  
“Oh really?” Wash gave him a tired smile. “I love you too, even though you’re as mature as Chloe is. And you’re still not out of being in trouble.”

  
I swear, these two are driving me crazy.  
  



	8. Chapter 8

 

“All rightee Wash, let’s see if we find something here on the ole ultrasound.” Dr. Grey searched the screen to see if there was a baby.

  
Tucker felt defensive. “He totally does. He had all the symptoms, we’ve known about the baby for a week.”

  
Grey gave him a soft glare. “I am the professional here, not you. I will be the one to officially state if there is a baby not.” She never did have much patience for Tucker.

  
He made faces at her behind her back. Wash smacked his arm. He was embarrassing, Wash couldn’t take him anywhere.

  
“Stop that. If you can’t behave, you can wait outside.”

  
He made a face at Wash before settling down. He concentrated on the screen trying to find his baby.

  
“Oh my gosh!” Grey said it so loudly, both Wash and Tucker jumped. “That little shape there, that’s the baby.”

  
Tucker stepped closer to see better. “Oh my god, he’s so tiny.”

  
Grey looked at him. “‘He?’ So I take you’re hoping for a boy?” She smiled.

  
“I know it’s a boy.”

  
Wash nodded. “Yeah, he’s been positive about that since before there was a baby.”

  
Dr. Grey shrugged “Well, he’s only two weeks along. It will be a few more months before we find out for sure. But at least you have a fifty-fifty chance of being right. Oh-kay, you’re all done Wash.”

She turned the machine off.  
Wash had to wipe off the cold gel Dr. Grey used for the ultrasound. It was gross. “So now what do I do?”

  
“Not much for right now. Do the usual stuff, eat well, take vitamins, and make sure you sleep!” She really stressed that last part.

  
Wash’s sleeping habits were to pass out from exhaustion, it wasn’t about resting. He looked guilty.

  
Tucker gently punched his arm. See, I told you so! I’ve been yelling at him for three years to get in a normal sleep habit.”

  
“Yes Wash, he’s right. You need to get rest for the baby. It’s not all about you now. Let’s see, this is June 12th ,how about you come back June 30th and we’ll take another picture of the baby and that will officially start the monthly prenatal care.”

  
“Alright, that works for me.”

  
“Congratulations you guys!” She was still overexcited.

  
She put an arm around both of them and gave them each a hug. She ended up almost strangling Wash, he couldn’t wait to break away from her. Tucker made a face and slipped out of his hug.

  
All the way home Tucker gushed and raved over the baby. What all furniture they needed to buy. What kind of clothes to pick. Toys and bottles…Tucker wouldn’t stop. Wash only half listened.

  
Anyone could tell how excited Tucker was, Wash didn’t know how to feel. He was happy, he knew that. He really did want the baby. But there was something wrong; he couldn’t figure out what.

  
Tucker dropped Wash off at home, he was scheduled for a half day at work so he could be at Wash’s first doctor appointment. It was too quiet at home with Chloe at preschool. He walked next door to talk to Simmons for awhile.

  
“So what’s the verdict?” Simmons was as nervous as Wash had been.

  
“It’s a positive.” Wash tried to smile. It didn’t quite show in his eyes.

  
“That’s great. You don’t sound too excited though”

  
“No, I am. I’m happy about the baby. I don’t know, I think I’m worried that something will happen.”

  
“Why, what’s wrong?”

  
“Nothing in general. It’s just that everything’s been going so well for me. I’m waiting for something bad to happen.”

  
Simmons looked confused. “Why would you think that.”

  
“All my life, that’s how things work out. That’s why I’m surprised Tucker is still with me. I keep waiting for him to leave me and take Chloe with him.” Wash never admitted that to anyone.

  
Simmons reached across the table and put his hand over Wash’s. “Oh come on, life doesn’t always work like that. You and Tucker are meant to be together. I’ve been with Grif for almost four years now. If we can make it that long, you two will be fine.”

  
“Yeah, I’m being overly paranoid. I’ve never seen Tucker so happy. I have to be the boring one who is waiting for something bad to happen.” He tried to laugh it off.

  
Simmons figured this was a good time to change the subject. “I heard about Tucker’s shopping spree the other day. If you want stocked up on some little baby things, we have some stuff the twins have already outgrown. You’re welcome to anything here you can use.”

  
“Thank you, that’ll help save some money. Tucker is convinced we’re having a boy, he’s been trying to decorate everything in blue.”

  
“Too bad it’s not a girl. Mira has a bunch of dresses she never wore. She’s a total tomboy, even from the beginning.”

  
Wash chuckled. “Chloe is the opposite. She loves girlie things, she likes to pretend she’s a princess. In some ways she’s not too far off.”

  
Simmons shook his head. “When Mira gets older, I need Chloe to set a girl example for her. She has two dads and two brothers, no wonder she acts like a boy.” He laughed over it.

  
Wash felt relieved to be able to vent out how he felt. He was only being paranoid. This was the one time that life won’t turn horrible on him. He had Tucker and Chloe, nothing could take that away from him.

Now he had a new baby to care about. Life can work out for Agent Washington.

  
It was time for him to start living his new life.

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

Later that evening when Tucker got home he dragged the ladder from the garage, mixed up the paint and started on the nursery.

  
“Tucker, get some old newspapers from the recycling bin and cover the floor. Don’t you dare spill the paint.”

  
“Yeah yeah, I know what I’m doing. Chill out, I’m not stupid.”

  
Chloe had to get involved, that was even worse. Wash couldn’t watch, he had to walk away.

  
He was feeling nauseous again, and barely made it to the bathroom. Damn, he thought he was only supposed to get sick in the mornings, not in the evenings too. He lay down on the bed, praying this feeling would go away. That’s when he heard a crash.

  
Tucker yelled. “Damnit, Wash we got a problem.”

  
Wash groaned and reluctantly got up. He didn’t want to know. If Tucker acted up like this the entire nine months, Wash was going to shoot him. When he saw the mess in the nursery, he was tempted to get his gun.

  
Tucker dropped an entire pan of blue paint all over the floor. A lot splashed on poor Chloe, who was now crying as Tucker tried to wipe some off of her. Thank god he remembered to put the newspaper down before he started.

  
“I don’t even want to know how this happened.”

  
Tucker looked up, he had paint splattered on his face. “Uh, that’s a good call, you don’t, trust me.”

  
“Get some rags and clean up what paint you can. Chloe, come with me, I’ll get you cleaned up. How about you help me start dinner in a while. Leave the painting to your father.”

  
Her crying slowed down to a sniffling. “Okay, I just wanted to help.”

  
Tucker was salvaging what paint he could from the pan that he spilled. “I know sweetie. I appreciate it, but there’s not enough room in here.”

  
It took him most of the night, but it was finally done. Wash was already in bed reading by the time Tucker came in to shower.

  
Wash grinned at him as he climbed into bed. “No more catastrophes?” He put his book on the nightstand.

  
“Nope all good. I’m no Picasso, but I gotta admit it’s looks good.”

  
He cuddled in closer to Wash and put his arms around him. All of a sudden Wash felt sick again, he rushed to the bathroom. Tucker stood by looking scared.

  
“Isn’t that supposed to stop in the morning?”

  
Wash rinsed his mouth out with water. “That’s what I thought. Guess it can happen at any time.”

  
Tucker frowned. “You hardly ate anything at supper either. Are you okay.”

  
“Sure, it’s early on. This is a big change for my body, it will work itself out. Let’s try to get some sleep.”

  
He turned off the light and Tucker snuggled up against him, it was like he was protecting Wash and the baby.

Wash tried to let it go, but still something nagged at him. Something was wrong. He would make sure to talk to Dr. Grey about it in two weeks.

The morning sickness returned everyday. Usually coming back in small doses later in the day. Wash tried to eat, but he would throw it up. By the second week, he knew something was wrong.

  
Dr. Grey checked the ultrasound. “Well, the baby looks fine. His heartbeat is nice and strong. It’s so early on, it’s hard to tell for sure. Your body may be rebelling, it might think the baby is a foreign object.”

  
Wash didn’t feel encouraged by that. “So what can I do to fix this?”

  
“Right now, wait and see if it works out. If this continues past the third month, then I would be concerned. Odds are once your body gets used to the baby being there, it won’t give you any more problems.”

  
It sounded like a good solution. “It’s been hard to eat these last two weeks. I throw up almost everything. Is there anything I can take to make it better?”

  
“At this stage in the pregnancy it’s important that you eat. You gotta be careful what medicines you take, so are you willing to try a few natural solutions?”

  
Wash nodded. “Sure, it depends on how bad they are.”

  
“Oh no, it’s all good. When you can’t eat, try some saltines, dry toast, pretzels, something bland like that. For the nausea, sip on some Ginger Ale. Try a few things like that, just absolutely try to eat something, it doesn’t matter what.”

  
Wash felt guilty, he felt like he was abusing his baby. He could hardly even look Dr. Grey in the face. If the baby had any kinds of problems, it would be his fault.

  
The doctor seemed to understand. She reached over and patted his stomach. “Don’t worry so much, that’s not good for the baby either. You’re not doing anything wrong. This happens to a lot of people.”

  
Wash tried to fake a smile that he was okay. But inside, he wasn’t. He still felt like somehow this was his fault. He thanked the doctor and left.

  
He wanted to go home and hide away, but he couldn’t face Tucker. Could you imagine if something happened to the baby? He didn’t think Tucker could survive it. He got in the car and took in a deep breath.

  
For the first time he spoke to the baby. “I’m sorry kiddo, I don’t know what to do for you, I want to be able to save you. Don’t worry baby, I’ll figure it out. I promise.”


	10. Chapter 10

 

Three months in, and Wash still had morning sickness everyday. It wasn’t as severe as it was early on, but he was concerned.

He forced himself to eat everyday. And he constantly worried over how the baby was doing.

  
Tucker’s newest activity was family reading time. Every night, Chloe would join them in their bedroom and Tucker would read for her and the baby.

  
He accumulated a lot of children books in the last year, Chloe always loved to be read to. She would fall asleep before the story was over and Tucker would carry her back to her bed.

  
Wash and Chloe had a few hours together everyday when she came home from preschool, and before Tucker came home from work. She followed Wash everywhere and help to with everything he did.

  
At first, he was flattered, he loved spending time with her. As the pregnancy went on, his patience grew thin. More than once, he caught himself before he snapped at her.

Between the hormone shots and his growing stress over the baby, he was afraid of yelling at her.

  
On the day before his three month checkup, he wasn’t feeling well at all. Chloe was hanging off his hand asking a ton of random questions that Wash didn’t know the answer to. He wanted to yell at her to stop, but it was like with Tucker. She was so sensitive, it would hurt her feelings.

  
“You know what would be fun Chloe? Your dad will be home soon. Why don’t use your new crayon set and surprise him with a picture?”

  
She thought for a second. “Okay, I can do that.” She ran off to her room.

  
He felt bad, but he was also feeling dizzy. He needed to lay down. It felt like the room was spinning. Ten minutes later, he heard Tucker come home. Chloe went to greet him, but Wash couldn’t get up just yet.

  
Tucker came in. Wash tried to steady himself to get up. Tucker knelt down by the bed.

“No Wash, why don’t you rest some more. You look awfully pale. Can I bring you some tea or something?”

  
“Maybe a cup of ginger tea. It might help this sick feeling go away.”

  
“Yeah, you got it.”

  
Chloe came in quietly, she was carrying a picture with her. She handed it to Wash.

“Here Daddy, I drew you a picture too. Since you don’t feel good a lot of the time, I drew you a flower to cheer to you up.”

  
“Aww, thank you sweetie.” He felt so bad for almost snapping at her. He put the picture up on his nightstand. “There, that’s the perfect spot so I can look at my flower.”

  
Tucker came in with his tea. “Here you are monsieur, some fresh tea. I’ll take miss Chloe out of your way. Drink the tea and rest. I’ll be back in a little bit to see how you’re doing.”

  
“Thanks hon, I appreciate it.”

  
Tucker leaned over to give him a kiss and guided Chloe out of the room. Wash sipped the tea and tried not to fall asleep. He must haves dozed off, Tucker startled him when he came in later with a plate.

  
“Hi babe, feel any better?”

  
Wash was honest. “Yes, actually I do.”

  
“Good, I brought you some supper. You really need to eat it.”

  
Wash’s stomach lurched. “I’ll try. What is it?”

  
“Baked chicken, with potatoes and broccoli. Sorry. I know it doesn’t look too appealing, but it’s all bland so hopefully it doesn’t upset your stomach.” He sat in bed and planned on staying with Wash.  
He didn’t want to eat, but now he had to. He forced down a few bites of the vegetables.

He had a harder time with the chicken. The very look of it was making his stomach lurch a second time. He was afraid he knew what would happen.

  
Tucker wouldn’t let him out of it. He took the knife and fork and cut into small pieces like he did for Chloe. “Now would you like to feed you?” He was trying not to laugh.

  
As terrible as Wash felt he laughed a little. “Yes, it looks like you might have to.”

  
“No problem, so open up, here comes the airplane.” He was laughing so hard, he almost missed Wash’s mouth.

  
“Hey watch it, you’re never feeding our kid, you’re terrible at it.”

  
In spite of the joking around, Wash was able to keep his supper down. That was a first. Just relaxing and joking with Tucker did wonders for him.

  
“There, was that so bad?”

  
“No, you make a really good nurse. I feel better already.”

  
“Well, I can do better.” He moved in closer and gave Wash a long, passionate kiss. That was what Wash was missing. He kissed him back. He never wanted it to end.

  
There was a noise from the hallway. “Daddy, it’s almost bedtime.”

  
Tucker groaned and pulled away, not before whispering, “To be continued.”

  
He called out to Chloe. “Did you pick your book out for tonight honey?”

  
“Yeah.” She was outside the door.

  
“Well, do you want to bring it in?”

  
“You said the Daddy doesn’t feel good, and I shouldn’t bother him.”

  
Wash laughed, this place was a circus. “You’re not bothering sweetie, come here.”

  
That’s What she was waiting to hear. She jumped on the bed with her book and laid in between her dads. She gave the book to Tucker, and cuddled up close to Wash.

  
He rested his cheek against her dark brown, curly hair and listened to the story with her. As usual, she was asleep before the story was over. Tucker reached over to pick her up, but Wash stopped him.

  
“This is kind of cozy like this. Let her stay, just for tonight.”

  
Tucker shrugged. “Okay by me.” He turned off the light and cuddled up on the side of Chloe. He gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

He gave Wash a kiss on the lips and gave a little kiss on his stomach. “Good night baby.” He whispered. “Good night Wash. I love you.”

  
“Good night, I love you too.”

  
Wash was relieved that he could keep his food down, but his stomach was killing him. This was a new kind of pain he felt.

It was light and subtle, but it kind of scared him. He was glad to have Tucker and Chloe with him to take his mind off of it.

  
It wasn’t a restful sleep, but he could sleep. At least that was some improvement.

 

  
  



	11. Chapter 11

 

“All rightee Wash, we’re in the third month. How’s the morning sickness been?”

  
“I’m sick almost every morning. I have to force myself to eat. Sometimes it stays down, sometimes it doesn’t.”

  
“So it’s only a slight improvement over last month?” She frowned slightly.

  
“Yes.”

  
She searched for the baby on the ultrasound. “There’s your little baby, he’s starting to look like one. He’s a good size despite the fact that you can’t eat. His heartbeat is strong. I can’t find any logical reason for the morning sickness.”

  
Wash felt a shot of fear. “You mentioned before that my body may be rejecting the baby?”

  
“Yes, it’s looking more likely that’s the case. It’s not natural for you to carry a baby, so your body will treat it like a foreign object. The most important thing is to keep the baby in for as long as possible so he has a good chance to survive.”

  
He felt like his heart would break. “Oh god, if my baby dies, it will be all my fault.” Tears welled on his eyes.

  
Dr. Grey put her hand on his shoulder. “No, it’s not your fault, you’re not doing anything wrong. We’re playing with nature here, there’s some things that are out of our control. But we can try to put the odds in our favor. Your baby still has a very good chance.”

  
The tears fell as he went to the car. He sat in the parking lot and had a good cry before heading for home.

He remembered how Simmons had a difficult time when he was having his twins. Maybe Wash did have a chance with his baby. He thought later he would give Simmons a visit.

  
After little Mira’s pneumonia scare, Simmons took a leave of absence from the IT department until the twins were a little older.

Since he was a workaholic, Simmons often suffered from boredom. Wash gave him a call to arrange a play date for Dex and Chloe.

  
Later that afternoon he walked Chloe over and he hoped Simmons was in the mood to talk.

He put the twins’ playpen outside, and he invited Wash to sit on the porch and they could watch the kids.

  
“So what’s going on with the baby?” He looked really concerned. Wash appreciated that.

  
“It’s the same. The baby is very healthy, but I keep getting sick everyday. There’s no reason for it and I’m scared for the baby.”

  
“Well, when I was having the twins, I was sick everyday. They were born a few weeks early, but they were both fine. So I wouldn’t exactly worry about it.”

  
Wash felt better. “The other night, I felt a weird pain, but it went away pretty quickly. I forgot to mention it to Dr. Grey.”

  
“Oh yeah, what kind of pain?”

  
“It was a sharp, cramping pain in my lower stomach.”

  
Simmons frowned. “The only time I felt that kind of pain was when…uh, I don’t know what it’s from.”

  
He felt that pain right before he went into labor. No way could tell Wash that, not when he was finally calming down.

  
Wash was suspicious, Simmons knew something that he wasn’t telling him. “You’re sure about that?”

  
“Uh, yeah of course I’m sure. You only felt the pain once?”

  
“Yes, it was right before bed, I haven’t felt it since.”

  
“Oh, then it was probably nothing.”

  
Wash knew something was up. He didn’t push the subject anymore. It probably was just nothing.

  
Simmons concentrated on watching the twins. They were watching Dex and Chloe going crazy on the swings.

  
“Jacob, Mira.” They both looked at their dad. “You guys can’t wait until you’re old enough to play too, can you?”

  
Mira gave him a big smile, Jacob looked a little concerned.

“I don’t think Jake is too excited over that idea.” Wash went over to talk to him. “Those two are maniacs aren’t they?”

  
Jacob cooed and smiled at Wash. He even let him pick him and hold him. Simmons was impressed.

“You should feel honored, Jake usually only comes to me. He’ll only tolerate Grif so much.”

  
Wash flashed his crooked smile at Jacob. “Then you think my baby will like me?”

  
“He’s going to love you.” Simmons felt a twinge of guilt. He hoped Wash’s baby would be okay. Wash would be devastated.

  
They could hear Grif holler from the house. “Hey, where’d everybody go?”

  
Simmons sighed, then yelled back. “We ran away, where do you think we are, you dumbass?”

  
Wash put Jacob back down. “I’m sure you want us to get going.”

  
“No, you know what we could do? The kids are still playing, I can grill up some hamburgers, we’ll have a little cookout. Call Tucker and tell him to come over. Then he and Grif can move over the picnic table.”

  
Grif heard that. “Um, I can do what?”

  
“You can help out with the cookout or you won’t get any food.”

  
Grif shot Simmons a dirty look, but he did start moving the furniture to make room for the picnic table.

  
“You are going to stay, aren’t you Wash?”

  
“Sure, it sounds like fun.”

  
“Yeah, it’ll take your mind off your problems.”

  
He went to dig out his cell phone. Another sharp pain shot through his stomach. He stopped and waited. Nothing else happened, he seemed to be fine.

  
He put his hand on his stomach. He just hoped the baby was fine too.

 


	12. Chapter 12

 

Somehow Wash made it to four months. How he did it, he didn’t know. At this point every month he got through was a milestone for the baby. He was constantly worried about him.

  
He was still sick almost everyday. The only improvement was that halfway through the fourth month, he could actually eat food again. He missed it.

  
Then the cravings began, he drove Tucker crazy with it.

“Tucker, you know what I want? A large pepperoni pizza.”

  
Tucker was happy, this was the first time Wash volunteered to eat. “For real?”

  
“Yeah, for real.”

  
Tucker gave a big smile. “No problem.”

  
When he got back with the pizza, Wash changed his mind. He wanted cereal instead.

  
Tucker didn’t care, he was happy to see Wash eat and not be sick, but how he wasn’t sick, Tucker couldn’t understand. “Dude, that’s disgusting!” He couldn’t stop laughing.

  
Wash crumbled bacon in with his bowl of Corn Flakes. He looked at Tucker with an innocent look on his face.

  
“What? Dr. Grey said to eat and that it didn’t matter what I ate. I wanted breakfast for supper, so shut up.” He grinned at Tucker. “Want some?”

  
“Now way! I got pizza. What the hell are you having for dessert?”

  
“That’s easy, vanilla ice cream with cheddar cheese.”

  
The look on Tucker’s face made Wash laugh again. It felt so good to be able to relax and not worry for once.

  
Later that night, they cuddled up in bed together. Tucker touched the little baby bump that had only recently formed. Wash didn’t know how there was one, but he was so happy to see it. Maybe the baby had a chance after all.

  
“You know Wash, we better discuss names for the baby. I know what I want to name my son, but you would yell at me.”

  
Wash groaned, he could only imagine what it was. “How bad is it?”

  
“It’s a wonderful name, David.”

  
Wash froze. “No.”

  
His given name represented all the memories associated with his abusive family. All the memories from his time with the Freelancers, all the friends he watched die. He refused to go by that name, he preferred Washington, he was good old Wash.

  
Tucker couldn’t understand that. “Why not.”

  
“How could you use that horrible name for an innocent little baby?”

  
“It’s not horrible, it’s all in your mind. A name is whatever you make of it. I love the name because I love you and I love our kid. So I pick the name David.”

  
He wanted to see it Tucker’s way, but all the memories… he couldn’t stop shaking.

  
Tucker felt it and put his arms around him and hugged him close. “Okay, if you can’t handle it, we’ll pick something else. Any names you like?”

  
“I can’t think of any offhand.”

  
“That’s cool, I’ll buy a baby name book tomorrow. We’ll go through it together and pick a name we both like.”

  
“Okay, that’s fair. We have to make sure we pick the perfect name.” Wash stopped shaking, but Tucker still held him. He kept one hand on his stomach.

  
“Do you feel him moving around or kicking yet?”

  
“Earlier today, it felt like a little kick, he definitely moved, I do know that. I haven’t felt it since. Today was the first time I felt anything.”

  
“Hello in there little baby.” They waited, but nothing happened. “I think he’s ignoring me.”

  
“I don’t blame him. We keep referring to the baby as ‘he’, what if it’s a ‘she’? Shouldn’t we pick a girl’s name just in case?”

  
“Yeah, When can we find out for sure?”

  
“Either by the end of this month or the beginning of the fifth month.”

He smiled, he was truly happy for the first time during his baby drama. He couldn’t hold back his tears.

  
Tucker was scared. “What’s wrong, are you okay?” He was paranoid over everything Wash did in the last few months.

  
He nodded through his tears. “Nothing’s wrong, that’s why I’m crying. I’m halfway through it, and we still have our baby.”

  
“Well of course, why wouldn’t we still have him?”

  
“It’s because of Dr. Grey scaring me that my body would reject the baby. Then, when those annoying little pains started, I thought I would lose him.”

  
“Wait a minute, what annoying pains? What kind are they?” Tucker was hurt that Wash didn’t mention this sooner.

  
“I’ve had them off and on. They started last month, it doesn’t happen everyday.”

  
“Have you them lately?”

  
“The other day, I had one. It lasted a few seconds and went away. Just like all the others.”

  
“Have you told Dr. Grey about them?”

  
Wash didn’t want to answer. “No, not exactly. The first time, I forgot to tell her. After that, I’ve been too scared to tell her.”

  
Tucker raised his voice. “It’s your responsibility to keep our kid safe. You should have called up the doctor and told her. You could have had a miscarriage. This is my kid too.”

  
Wash couldn’t take it. “Well excuse me for being scared. In the last four months, my body had been working against me, and I’ve fought like hell to keep this baby. Every month is a struggle, and it keeps getting worse. So next time, carry your own damn kid, because I am the worst parent ever, of all time.”

  
He went to cry in the bathroom. Tucker came up behind him. All of a sudden, the sharp pain shot across his lower stomach. This time, it took his breath. He doubled over, holding his stomach.

  
Tucker was at his side. “Oh honey, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I won’t yell at you anymore. Please don’t lose the baby!”

He gently picked Wash up and carried him to the bed.  
Wash managed to recover his breath, he was too scared to move.

They both waited in silence, but nothing else happened. Tucker stroked back his short, blond hair. He put his arms around him, and gently held him.

Tucker was on the verge of crying. He kept saying. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

  
Wash touched his face. “It’s okay, it’s gone. You’re right and I’m wrong, I should have admitted it to Grey. I was too scared. Help me, I don’t want to lose this baby.”

  
Tucker kissed his lips. “Just rest now, I got you, I’m never gonna let you go. I’m going to protect you and the baby. I refuse to lose either one of you. So rest, you’re safe.”  
Wash trusted him. He laid his head against Tucker’s chest and took in deep breaths to relax. He really did feel that he and the baby really were safe.

  
He felt himself drift off to sleep , not caring about the nightmares. He had Tucker, nothing could hurt him.  


 


	13. Chapter 13

 

“Damnit Tucker, we’ve been all through that baby name book for almost two weeks. Nothing seems to fit.”

  
“I have an idea. Chloe, come here. We don’t know what to name your brother, you wanna help us?”

  
She came running over. “Yeah!”

  
“Here’s the baby name book, turn to whatever page you want and point to a name. What name you pick is what name we’ll give him. Got it?”

  
Chloe laughed. “Got it! I like this name.” She pointed to a random name.

  
Wash frowned. “This can’t possibly work.”

  
“What name did you pick? Holy shit, she did it. Lucas, I think I like that. How about you Wash?”

  
He thought about it. “That’s really good. Way to go Chloe.” He hugged her and she looked so proud of herself.

  
“We can call him Luke for short and it goes with Tucker…” He thought about. “That’s my girl, we would have been fighting with that all month.”

  
“ Uh-oh, we got to wrap this up. I have a doctors appointment soon. Tucker, were you coming with me?”

  
“Of course I am. I took the whole day off.”

  
Wash smiled at him and held his hand. “Okay, Chloe, You’re going to go next door to play with Dex, and we’re going to find out for real if you’re getting a little brother.”

  
By the time he got Tucker ready, they were almost late.

“Oh there you guys are, I was getting worried.” Dr. Grey met them with a smile.

  
Wash shook his head. “Thanks to fussing with Tucker and Chloe, I’m surprised we made it this soon.”

  
“All rightee, this is the big one. We’re gonna find out if you guys are having a boy, or if Tucker’s wrong.”

  
“I’m not wrong, I betcha five bucks.” He gently elbowed her. “Wanna bet?”

  
She elbowed him back a lot harder. “Nope, don’t think so.”

  
Wash winced from the ultrasound gel. Why the hell did it have to be so cold?

  
“Okeey, five months in, You’re finally showing Wash, good job on that. The baby’s a lot bigger. All right Tucker, I gotta admit it, you were right. Congratulations guys, it is a boy!”

  
“Told ya so.”

  
“Yeah yeah, you’re really smart. So Wash, you’re obviously doing better with eating. Do you still get sick?”

  
“Yes, almost everyday. There were some pains I get from time to time, but they always go away.”

  
Grey frowned. “What kind of pains?”

  
“Just sharp pains across my lower stomach, going into my lower back.”

  
“When did those start?”

  
“About the last two months. They always went away as fast as they came.”

  
Her frowned deepened. “Why is the first time you told me about this?”

  
“At first, I didn’t think anything of it. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling. I thought it was similar to the morning sickness.”

  
Tucker gave him a look. “Don’t worry Doc, I already yelled at him about it, but it made his pains worse.”

  
“This is a serious matter. You’re lucky you didn’t have a miscarriage. Have you felt it lately?”

  
An ice cold shot of fear shot through him. “No, not since two weeks ago, it was really bad, but it went away.”

  
Grey nodded. “Okay, you have two new rules for the next four months. It’s not necessarily strict bed rest, but don’t do much of anything. And if you feel any pain, I don’t care how minor, tell me right away. I’m serious. Those pains aren’t a good sign.”

  
Wash felt paralyzed with fear. Tucker was at his side, one arm around him and the other holding his hand. Wash nodded, he was too scared to speak, he felt he would start crying.

  
Even Tucker was quiet. “I’ll keep a better eye on him. We’ll get through this together.” He squeezed Wash’s hand.

  
“Okay guys, what’s with all this unhappiness? Wash, you made it to the halfway point. You guys are having the son that you wanted to have. Go home and celebrate, and don’t worry.”

  
Wash felt so numb. It didn’t matter what Dr. Grey and Tucker said, if the baby died, it was all his fault. He still couldn’t feel anything as he walked out of the office.

  
Tucker lingered for a moment. “Hey Doc Grey, If something happens with the rest of the pregnancy, you can save them can’t you?” He looked so scared, like a lost little kid.

  
She put her hands on his shoulders. “Absolutely, I seriously doubt Wash will make it to full term. But the longer he keeps carrying the baby, the better the chances are of the baby surviving. Wash is tough, I don’t think you need to worry about him.”

  
Tucker felt better. He threw his arms around her and gave her a quick hug. There were tears in his eyes. “Thanks babe, I needed to hear that.” He ran to catch up with Wash.

  
He looked up and saw that Tucker had been crying. He gave Wash a big hug.

“Don’t worry Tucker, I feel fine, the baby is healthy. He’s being active, I just felt him kick. I think we can do this, we’ll all be okay.”  
Tucker was still sniffling. “Are you sure?”

  
“Of course, I’ll go home and rest for the next four months. It’ll be like a vacation. Let’s go home, I can’t wait to see the look on Chloe’s face when she finds out about her baby brother.”

  
Tucker was able to smile. “Yeah, that’ll be cool. I can’t wait to hold him when he’s born. There’s so much I missed out on when I had Junior. I’m gonna make up for it with Lucas.”

  
Wash really hoped so. Now that he knew his son so well, he wanted him more than anything in the world.


	14. Chapter 14

 

Wash spent the next two weeks being spoiled by Tucker. He even got breakfast in bed.

Unfortunately it was burnt toast and runny eggs that he couldn’t eat, but Tucker tried.

  
Chloe wouldn’t let Wash out of her sight. She wanted to do everything with him. He was flattered, but it was getting too stressful for him.

  
Tucker understood. “Chloe, you got to give Wash a break. He wasn’t doesn’t feel good because of the baby.”

  
“But when the baby comes, he’ll be too busy, he won’t wanna play with me then. I want to spend time with Daddy while I still can.”

  
Wash felt bad. “Chloe, don’t worry, we’ll still get to spend plenty of time together. When the baby comes, he’ll sleep a lot. Don’t worry, I’ll always make time for you.”

  
“Yeah kiddo, between the two of us we’ll make time for both you and Lucas. You want to help me with dinner?”

  
“Yeah, I love to cook.”

  
Wash frowned. “You’re going to cook?”

  
“Yes, what’s wrong with that?”

  
“I love you and everything, but babe you can’t cook.”

  
“I can make spaghetti. Boil pasta and open a jar of sauce, what could be easier?”

  
“Oh god, I’m going to lay down and read for a while. Call me either when the meal is done or you give up, whichever happens first.”

  
Wash gave it an hour. It was too quiet out there, he didn’t trust it. Then he heard the loud clatter of pans falling, that sounded more like Tucker’s way of cooking. He knew he would regret it, but he had to check.

  
The pot with the hot water had boiled over, pans lay all over the kitchen floor, and the jar of sauce was broken into tiny shards. Chloe had sauce splashed all over her.

  
“What are you doing? I thought you were making spaghetti? Make sure Chloe doesn’t cut herself.”

  
“I got sidetracked, I thought I’d make a mess instead. Chloe’s fine, just a little messy.”

  
“Yeah Daddy, I tried to help.”

  
Wash grabbed the dishrag and wiped the sauce off her face. “I see that, you did a little too good of a job.”

  
“Sorry Wash, I tried. How about we order a pizza instead?”

  
“Good idea. I’ll give Chloe a bath and you clean up this mess.”

  
Since Chloe always insisted on bubble baths so she could act like a princess, Wash made sure she had plenty of bubbles. He figured this was a good time to talk to her.

  
“Are you happy about getting a little brother?”

  
“Uh-huh.”

  
“You’re not going to be jealous or feel ignored when we bring him home?”

  
She thought seriously on the question before answering. “No, I know you and Daddy love me, so I can love my baby brother.”

  
He had the proudest Dad moment. “Wow, that’s great to hear that. You’re the bestest kid in the world.”

  
Her cheeks turned pink as she smiled. “I know.”

  
Wash laughed and got her towel ready. “Better hurry up, your pizza will get cold.”

  
Later, after their nightly family reading ritual, Tucker tucked Chloe into bed. He yawned as he stretched out next to Wash.

  
“Man, I’m wiped out. Cooking is exhausting.”

  
Wash chuckled. “With the way you cook, it sure is.”

  
He gave Wash a big kiss goodbye. “Night babe, I love you.”

  
“I love you too.”

  
As usual, Wash couldn’t sleep. He felt restless, but he had no idea why. He had the feeling that something was wrong.

Tucker was snoring softly beside him; he was fine. He thought maybe he should check Chloe; she was fast asleep. Everyone was fine. The feeling wouldn’t go away.

  
He felt he was going to be sick, so he stepped into the bathroom and splashed some cool water on his face. Out of nowhere, he felt that annoying pain shoot across his stomach.

  
Oh no, he thought he was past that. It wasn’t very sharp, but it was still there. He took in a deep breath. Then he felt a second one, it was more in his lower back.

He probably should wake Tucker. He was too scared to move. He gave it a few minutes, nothing else happened. It should be safe to go to bed.

  
Out in the hallway, he could hear Chloe crying in her room. He forgot about the pains, he needed to check on her.

  
“Hey sweetie, what’s wrong?”

  
“I had a bad dream.” She was crying and shaking.

  
Wash sat beside her and held her in his arms. “About what?”

  
“My mom came and tried to take me away.” She was crying so hard, she could hardly talk.

  
“Don’t worry, she can’t. You’re legally my daughter now, you’re our daughter. She can’t come near you.”

  
Wash and Tucker never told Chloe that her mother was still in jail. She was serving a five year sentence for selling drugs.

  
Her crying slowed down. “You won’t get rid of me?”

  
“ No, never. You’re where you belong.”

  
“Don’t leave me.”

  
“No, I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.” He held her hand and stroked her hair to calm her down.

Reluctantly, she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. He stayed for a few minutes, making sure she was asleep. He went to get up. He couldn’t get that far.

  
The pain shot through him, 100 times worse than all the others. He couldn’t help but scream.

“Tucker, I need you. This is it.”

  
He scared Chloe, she started crying again, she grabbed ahold of his hand. Tucker came running in, still half asleep.

  
“Oh my god, it’s so soon. Okay Wash, I’m gonna call the doctor and Simmons to come get Chloe. Give me two minutes, we got this babe.”

  
Wash put his arm around Chloe. “Don’t be scared honey, this will all work out. Don’t cry.” She laid her head against his arm and didn’t want to let go.

  
Before he knew it Tucker came running back in followed by Simmons. “Come on babe, Dr. Grey will be waiting.”

He gently helped Wash stand. Chloe cried even harder because she wanted Wash.

  
A second pain as bad as the first, shot through him. Tucker held him steady, and supported Wash with his arm. “I got you, we’re in this together.”

  
Tucker called back to Chloe. “Don’t worry, your Daddy will be fine, I’ll take care of him. Stay with Uncle Simmons for us. I’ll be back for you as soon as I can.”

  
Simmons tried to comfort Chloe. “We’re going to grab a few things and you’ll come stay overnight with Dex. We’ll have a slumber party. It’s okay.”

  
Wash looked back at Chloe. She waved goodbye, and he waved back. He hoped this wasn’t the last time he would ever see her.  
  



	15. Chapter 15

 

“Tucker, I have a hospital room all ready. Can you help in and get him settled in the bed?”

  
“Sure Doc, I got him.” Wash was in do much pain, he couldn’t walk. “Hang on babe, I got you.” Tucker picked him and carried him to the room.”

  
“Tucker, quit being dramatic, I think I could make it to the room.”

  
“No way, I’m not putting any more stress on you.”

  
Dr. Grey came flying in with a syringe. “Okay, we got to try to stop these contractions. Wash, can you lay on your left side for me?”

  
Wash was confused. “Yes, but does it make a difference?”

  
“Yes it does. Lying on your back will encourage the contractions. It’s slightly better if you’re lying on your side. Let me give you this, it might help calm the contractions down.”

  
He screamed as another contraction hit. Tucker was at his side, holding his hand until faded away.

  
“Tucker, start timing the contractions. Wash, tell him when you feel another one coming. I’ll get you hooked up to a fetal monitor, and I check on the baby.” She had the situation under control.

  
“I think the contractions are getting worse. What do I do?” Tucker was scared.

  
“We got to keep him stable. Wash, where do you feel them at?”

  
He gasped for enough breath to answer. “My lower back, it feels like it’s going to break.”

  
She looked more worried. “It sounds like actual labor. I might not be able to stop this. Wash, you better plan on delivering this baby tonight.”

  
The tears flowed down Wash’s face. “It’s so early, he won’t be able to survive, will he?”

  
She was doing the math in her head. “Let’s see, you’re at 22 weeks, that’s very early, but the baby will have a chance.”

  
“What kind of a chance?” Tucker was crying too.

  
“Honestly, a 0 to 10% chance. But, I am no normal doctor. If anyone could save his life, I could.” Her words were positive, but her face didn’t show much confidence. “I’m going to get the delivery room ready in case.”

  
“I don’t care what the odds are, we went through so much for him already, Wash. We can get through it.”

  
“I don’t know, I’m scared. There’s a few things you need to know. You’re the beneficiary to my will. All I have to leave you is Chloe. You’ll be her legal guardian, that way, she’ll be safe.”

  
“Hey, don’t talk like that. You’re going to fine.” He kissed his hand and stroked his blond hair.

  
“I’m not sure about that. I know I tell you I love you all the time, but I really do love you. I wish we could have officially gotten married. I’d love to marry you”

  
“Awesome, as soon as you and Lucas are safe at home, we’ll have a little private ceremony. Just us and the kids.” Wash didn’t feel hopeful.

  
Dr. Grey came in to check Wash’s monitor. “Actually, If you two want to get hitched, I could do it right now, before Wash is too far along in labor.”

  
“You can do that?” Tucker didn’t believe her.

  
“Sure, in my spare time I’m an ordained minister, I can also perform last rites. Not that we need that we’ll need that tonight. A few simple vows, and you’re legally married.”

  
“That’s cool, what do you think Wash?”

  
He had a weak smile on his face. “Lavernius Tucker, will you marry me?”

  
Tucker pretended to think about it. “Agent Washington…hell yeah, I’ll marry you.”

  
“Aww, this is so much fun. Okay you’re getting the condensed version, the baby’s getting close.” She straightened up her lab coat and tried to look official.

  
“Tucker, do you take this man to be lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forth?”

  
He looked deep into Wash’s blue, blue eyes. “I do.”

  
“Wash, do you take this man as your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forth?

  
He took in Tucker’s beautiful face. This may be one of the last times he gets to see it. “I do.”

  
“Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husbands. Tucker, I know you want to, so kiss him.”

  
Tucker gave him the longest, most passionate kiss he ever gave Wash, he never wanted it to end. Wash forgot the pain and fear. All he could think of was Tucker.

  
The next contraction hit, even stronger than the others. Wash felt like he was being ripped in two. He couldn’t quit screaming. Something was wrong, he thought he was dying. The baby really wanted out.

  
“Wash, you’re ready for the delivery room. Tucker, can you help me get him there?” She had a wheelchair for him.

  
Tucker lifted him so gently, but Wash still screamed in pain. “I’m sorry babe, I’m trying not to hurt you.”

  
Wash shook his head. “It’s not from you, every part of my body hurts.”

  
Grey and Tucker got him on the delivery table. She was going to prep him for the C-section. Another paralyzing contraction hit. Even Grey was worried about him.

  
“Oh god, Tucker, I’m sorry, but you have to wait in the waiting room.”

  
“No way! I’m staying with my husband . He can’t do this alone. We’re a team.”

  
“I don’t have time to argue with you. Please just listen to me, I’m trying to save your baby’s life.”

  
Wash grabbed hold of Tucker’s hands. “Honey, she’s knows what’s she’s doing, I’ll be fine. If I’m not, take care of Chloe for me.”

  
Tucker was crying. “I can’t lose you, I can’t go on without you.”

  
“Yes you can, you have to, for Chloe’s sake. Tell her how much I love her. And you, I love you more than than anything else in this world.”

  
“I love you too Wash.”

  
Another contraction hit, the baby was really coming. Dr. Grey pushed Tucker out the door. Wash hated to see him go. Tucker was right, Wash needed him.

He was shot with anesthesia and Dr. Grey had him prepped for his surgery.

  
This was really happening, he was so scared. Oh god, what was going to happen to him and the baby?  


 


	16. Chapter 16

 

Dr. Grey tied her surgical mask on. She made a screen out of a sheet so Wash couldn’t see the C-section.

She had a collection of instruments in front of her, Wash had no clue what they were, and didn’t want to know. The thought of surgery made him queasy, he felt like he would pass out.

  
“Okay Wash, you should feel some pressure, but it shouldn’t hurt too badly. After going through the pain from the contractions, this should be the easy part.”

  
“Oh lord, that’s easy for you to say. If I’m not going to pass out from the pain, I’ll pass out from the idea of having surgery.”

  
“Aww, you don’t like surgeries, blood, and needles, and all that stuff?” She gently laughed.

  
Wash shuddered. “No way.”

  
“Well, you’re doing great so far. Lay back and try to ignore the pain. I’m gonna get your baby for you. Think about him. Did you two pick a name?”

  
Wash winced, it wasn’t exactly painful, but it felt weird. “Lucas.”

  
“That’s a cute name.”

  
“Chloe picked it out.” He started panicking, his pulse raced, he didn’t like the way this felt.

  
“Easy, you’re doing great. You guys are so sweet to your little girl. Lucas is going to be one lucky baby. You still with me Wash?”

  
He could hardly answer. He knew it was close. “Yes.”

  
“Good. Hang in there, I see the baby, I’m going to get him.”

  
Even with all the painkillers and anesthesia, he could feel it. He saw Dr. Gray holding Lucas’ tiny form. She carried him to the towel she had ready across from Wash. She cleared out his mouth and nose. He let out a little cry.

  
Wash was so relieved, he was alive. Wash turned his head to look closer, he had to see his son. He had darker skin like Tucker. Lucas looked right at Wash, he was amazed, the baby’s face looked like him, just as Tucker predicted.

  
Lucas moved his hand like he was trying to reach for Wash, he knew that was his dad. Wash tried to reach him, he was desperate to hold him, but he couldn’t quite reach. His fingertips brushed the baby’s hand.

  
“Give me the baby, I want to hold him.”

  
Grey was distracted. “Just wait.”

She grabbed her stethoscope, she searched for Lucas’ heartbeat. She couldn’t find it. “Oh god.”

  
She gently gave CPR to the tiny baby. With one finger, she tried to revive his heart. She refused to give up, she kept trying. She listened with the stethoscope; still nothing. She repeated the process again.

  
Tears streamed down Wash’s face. He could only lay in agony, trying to fight off The drowsiness of the anesthesia. He was seeing double, but still he watched his son.

  
Grey had to give up. She covered Lucas with a blanket, with tears in her eyes, she went to Wash. “I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I failed, I couldn’t save him.” She was in shock as much as Wash was.

  
He tried to scream, but the drowsiness was getting him. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but everything went dark.

  
Later, when he was moved to his room to recover, he heard Tucker crying, he felt him hold his hand and talk to him, but Wash couldn’t open his eyes. He wished he was dead, he wanted to be with his son.

  
It was several hours before the fog lifted and Wash could wake up. Tucker sat by the bed, his head buried in his hands. His body shook from the sobbing of his broken heart. Tucker wanted a baby so badly. And Wash couldn’t give him one; he failed.

  
Wash couldn’t cry, he still felt dead. Tucker heard him move and lifted his head. His eyes were red and swollen.

“Hi babe, I’m glad you’re awake. Are you okay?” He grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let go.

  
“No, I’m not. I’m sorry, it’s all my fault Lucas died. You wanted a baby so badly, and I couldn’t do it.”

  
“No, don’t talk like that. I loved him, I’ll always love him, but at least I still have you. The only way to get over this is to remember that I have the best husband and daughter in the world. We’ll recover from this together.”

  
Wash didn’t feel like he could ever get over this. He kept seeing his son looking at him, wanting his dad to save him, and he couldn’t.

Lucas was a perfectly healthy baby, he only died because Wash’s body couldn’t handle it. How could he get past this?  
He couldn’t upset Tucker anymore

“How’s Chloe doing?”

  
“She cried; a lot. She really misses having a brother, but she’ll get over that. Mostly she missed you. Simmons sat up with her all night. She never stopped crying.”

  
Wash felt so bad. “When can I see her?”

  
She’s out in the waiting room with Simmons, waiting for you to wake up. She can come in whenever you’re up to it.”

  
“How about now?”

  
Tucker smiled through the tears. “You got it.”

  
Tucker came back in with Chloe behind him. She grabbed ahold of his leg and peeked around at Wash, with her eyes big and scared. This was how she acted around strangers.

  
Tucker looked down at her. “What’s wrong with you, go get your dad.”

  
Seeing Chloe helped mend some of Wash’s broken heart. “Come here Chloe girl.”

  
That broke the ice. Chloe got a big smile on her face and tried to run to Wash. Tucker had to hold her back.

“Take it easy, he had surgery. You have to be gentle.”

  
She slowed down and stood by his bedside looking adoringly at him. He lifted her up so she could sit beside him. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him.

  
“Daddy, are you mad at me?”

  
Wash frowned. “Why would I be mad at you?”

  
“Daddy told me not to bother you, and you came in to check on my bad dream. Then you had the baby early. It’s my fault.”

  
He felt like a knife went through his heart. She was blaming herself like he was blaming himself. They really are a lot alike.

  
“No it’s not. I felt those pains earlier before you even cried. I should have spoken up sooner about them, but I didn’t. You certainly weren’t bothering me.”

  
“So you’re not mad at me?”

  
“Nope, not at all.”

  
“See Wash, now you know how ridiculous you sound. It’s no one’s fault Lucas died. It happened, and it will take time to heal. For all of us.”

  
Wash nodded. He wanted to believe Tucker, but he could still see Lucas’ face.

  
How he wished he could be holding him right now.  



	17. Chapter 17

 

Wash tossed and turned in his sleep. The dream hit him hard. It wasn’t the typical nightmare, this was too real.

He saw a bright light, in that light, he heard a baby crying softly; his baby.

  
He walked closer, there was a crib. He looked inside, little Lucas was in there, he reached for Wash. He looked up at Wash so lovingly and peaceful, he didn’t blame him for his death. Lucas loved him. He reached for his baby, he wanted to him hold more than anything.

  
The dream pulled him back out. He jumped awake. He found himself in the hospital bed, with no baby around. He cried, for the first time since Lucas died, Wash cried his heart out.

  
Tucker woke up and was at his side. He put his arms around him and held him tightly. “What’s wrong babe? Was it another bad dream?”

  
Tucker refused to leave Wash while he was recovering in the hospital. He knew Wash had PTSD issues, his nightmares could be horrible.

  
“I saw him, I saw Lucas, he was crying for me. Oh god, Tucker, I want my baby.” He couldn’t stop crying.

  
Tucker sighed and held him. This was the first time Wash even mentioned the baby. He knew he would have a breakdown, but it still didn’t prepare Tucker for dealing with more of his own pain, it took him two solid days to stop crying for his son.

  
“I know babe, I miss him too. It’ll be okay, we’ll get through this. Chloe and I love you so much, you don’t have to go through this alone.”

  
Wash tried to stop crying. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry.”

Tucker made him lay down, and he curled up beside him in the tiny bed and held Wash in his arms.

  
He whispered to him. “It’s okay babe, go back to sleep. You need to rest. I’m right here, nothing bad can happen to you. I won’t let it.”

  
Wash got quiet, he dozed back off. Only then would Tucker let himself go back to sleep.

  
In the morning, Tucker left to pick up Chloe from Grif and Simmons’ house. Wash was left alone, he hated being in the hospital without Tucker. It was too quiet.

  
He had to wait around for Dr. Grey to decide if he could discharged today. This was his third day in the hospital, and he was going crazy. With this horrid silence, it gave him too much time to think.

  
The dream ran through his head. It was so real, it was too real. He couldn’t help but blame himself for his son’s death. Seeing Lucas like that, it was too much for his heart to take. He sat on the edge of the bed and cried.

  
“Knock knock Wash, can I come in?” Dr. Grey peeked through the door.

  
Wash tried to wipe the tears from his eyes, he was embarrassed by them. “Yeah, come in.” He forced back his tears.

  
“You know, there’s nothing wrong with crying at a time like this. Sometimes you need to. You keep holding all this in like you have been, it’s not good for you.”

  
“It doesn’t matter about me. It’s all my fault the baby died. I’m surprised Lucas would forgive me at all. I’m a terrible father.”

  
She sat beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. “No, you were a great father to your little boy. Even when he was dying, he wanted you, he loved you. Of course he wouldn’t blame you for it. That’s what you have to remember about him, he’ll always be with you.”

  
Wash took in a deep breath, he tried to make the tears go away. “I can still see his face, the look in his eyes when he looked at me. I’ll never be able to forget it.”

  
“You don’t want to forget about him. You are certainly not the first person to lose a child like this, It happens; a lot, no matter how prepared you are. All you can do for your son is to go on with your life; you still have a little girl that needs you. Coming from someone who watched her entire family die because of The war, it will get easier.”

  
She always kept such a positive attitude, it was easy to forget that was how she ended up with the Reds and Blues. She got involved as a doctor with The Great War.

Because her family was killed, she had nowhere else to go. She knew the pain and suffering of life as well as Wash did. He did feel a little better.

  
She took in a deep breath, she was feeling it too. “All rightee then, you Agent Washington are officially discharged. I have a list of rules for you to ignore, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  
Wash was able to force a smile. “Okay, I’ll try to listen.”

  
“When you go home, try to get as much bed rest as you can for the first few days. After that, give it several weeks of taking it easy. Since you are a newlywed, and the fact that your husband is Tucker, no strenuous activity for a while.” She gave an evil little smile.

  
Wash blushed, this was embarrassing. “Okay, I’ll try to stay away from him.”

  
“You have two more rules. Take it easy on yourself, it’s not your fault. And your second is to chill out and have some fun with your family. All three of you need it. You got all this?”

  
“Yes ma’am.”

  
“Good, you can get of here as soon as Tucker comes.”

  
“Hey, Tucker is here, what all did I miss?”

  
“Only my list of rules that I probably won’t listen to.” The sadness was still in his eyes, but he looked a lot better. He was getting back to be the old Wash again. “I really want to go home.”

  
“You got it babe. You know, we still gotta have our honeymoon...” He had a rotten smile on his face.

  
Wash had to smile. With all the hell they’ve been through, at least Tucker would never change.


	18. Chapter 18

 

It took some time, but Wash readjusted to his normal life. The first few days were the hardest.

  
He and Tucker mutually decided to keep the door to the nursery closed. Later on they would decide how to handle the extra room.

Lucas’ ultrasound pictures were tucked away until the couple had time to heal.

  
It didn’t help any that a week after losing Lucas, it was going to be Thanksgiving. Wash was in no mood to celebrate. Tucker was a little worried for Chloe.

  
“I know how you feel babe, I don’t want a holiday either, but what about Chloe? She never had holidays when she was with her mom. Is it fair to take it away from her?”

  
“There’s no way I can handle the cooking, and you can’t cook. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I don’t see any way past it.”

  
“Simmons invited us over for dinner. You know how Grif is, it’s his favorite holiday. They said if we were up to it, we can join them.”

  
“You and Chloe can go, I’m not ready for this yet.” Tucker looked concerned. “Don’t give me that look, I just need a little more time.”

  
Tucker put his arms around him and held him close. “Chloe can go over, I’ll stay here with you. Alone together; that’s still a good holiday.”

He kissed him and wished Wash could snap out of it. He was getting better, but he still wasn’t the same Wash.

  
The next morning, Wash was up bright and early, as usual. He still had sleep issues. He heard Chloe get up, so he got up with her.

  
“Want some breakfast honey?“

  
“Yes please.” She looked proud of herself. Wash went through a lot of time teaching her good manners and she actually listened to him.

  
Wash smiled at her. “That’s my girl. There’s your cereal madam.” He could relax and joke around a little easier now. He liked the quiet mornings when it was just him and Chloe.

  
The phone rang. “Who could be calling this early on holiday? Hello.”

  
Dr. Grey was on the phone. She sounded panicked. “Hey Wash, is Tucker there. I really need him.”

  
Wash could hear a baby crying in the background. What the hell was going on?

  
“Yeah, he’s sleeping. Hang on, I’ll get him.”

  
Tucker wasn’t fully awake when he answered the phone. “What’s up?”

  
“Uh, I hate to bother you, but I need a hand.” The baby in the background was practically screaming.

  
Tucker frowned. “Yeah it sounds like it, what are you doing?”

  
“I’m stuck sitting this little baby and he doesn’t like me. Can you and Wash help me, just to calm him down?”

  
Tucker was even more confused. “Sure, we’ll be right down.” He looked at Wash. “the Doc’s got a problem. We need to help her calm a baby down.”

  
“Oh no, no way. Count me out.”

  
Chloe started up. “I want to go, I want to go!”

  
“Aww c’mon, Wash.”

  
He glared softly. “I hate you both right now.” He was outnumbered.

  
When they entered her office, the baby crying was even worse. Grey practically pulled them inside.

  
“Oh thank goodness, he’s been like this for over an hour. I don’t know what to do for him. He’s not hungry and he doesn’t need changed.”

  
Wash frowned. “How did you get custody of a baby?”

  
“He was born late last night. His mother was young, I doubt she was even 18 years old. She was alone and scared. When she went into labor, she had no where else to go.”

  
Tucker went straight to the baby’s bassinet. “I think his problem is that he wants held.”

He lifted the baby up on his arms. He still cried, but not as loudly. Tucker made a big show of trying to cheer the baby up.

  
Wash tried not to look, but couldn’t help it. Tucker looked so adorable with the baby, he had to smile. Chloe was laughing.

  
Tucker cradled him close. “Who are you? Whatcha matter, why are you crying?”

  
Grey volunteered the information. “His mother was calling him David. He seems to know the name, so I’ve been using it.”

  
Tucker jerked his head to look at Wash. “I can’t believe that. David is what I originally wanted to name our baby.”

  
Wash gave him a warning look. “Don’t you even think about it. What’s going to happen to the baby?”

  
“He’ll be put up for adoption. His mom is young and on her own, the dad took off on her. He’s got nowhere to go. Which is kinda why I asked you two down here. You lost your baby, he lost his family.”

  
“No, absolutely no. Not after what happened to Lucas.”

  
Grey pleaded with her eyes. “Are you sure Wash? The mom had blond hair and blue eyes, and he’s got light brown skin like Tucker’s. He could totally look like your son. He’s a real cutie patootie.”

  
“Yeah, check him out Wash.” He walked over with the baby. He was crying more softly now.

  
Wash cringed.“No, don’t.” Tucker put the baby in his arms. David looked up at Wash. He stopped crying and looked up at Wash all wide eyed. He was mesmerized.

  
Chloe stood on tiptoes, trying to look at the baby. Wash sat with the baby on a chair so she could see him.

She gently touched his hand. David cooed and wrapped his tiny hand around her finger. She giggled.

  
Tucker came over to stand beside them. “Hey, he likes you Chloe.”

  
“He’s so cute!” She was still giggling.

  
Little David held Wash’s finger with his other hand. He snuggled down into Wash’s arms. He could hardly keep his eyes open.

  
He still looked at Wash with those big brown eyes. Wash couldn’t take it. His heart melted, he smiled down at him. No way could he give him up now.

  
He sighed dramatically “All right, it’s three against one. What do we need to sign to adopt him?”

  
Grey’s smile lit up her whole face. “Since it’s a holiday, you can officially adopt him on Monday. You have my permission to take him home today. He was born shortly after midnight, so that makes him a Thanksgiving baby! It’s so fitting.”

  
“We don’t have a car seat to take him home.”

  
“Wait, we do. I bought one two weeks ago for Lucas. It’s in the trunk of the car. I’ll go set it up.”

  
Little David already fell asleep. Wash stood up carefully to not wake him. He stayed asleep.

  
“Seriously Wash, you guys are gonna love him. He is a sweetie. His problem was that he bonded with his mother, and when he woke up she was gone. He cried because he was scared.”

  
“He’ll be fine, I’ll never leave him. Come on Chloe. Thank you doctor, for everything.”

  
Tucker helped buckle him in his car seat. He opened his eyes. Wash kissed his cheek. “It’s okay kiddo, you’re going home.” He slept the rest of the way.

  
For the first time in a long time, Wash could honestly smile again, he didn’t have to dread going back home.  
  
  
  


 


	19. Chapter 19

  
  
“Hey Simmons, guess who can join you guys for dinner?”

Tucker’s voice was so excited. He hadn’t felt this happy in months.

  
“That’s great, but how did you get Wash to change his mind?”

  
“Uh Yeah, that’s a good story. We kinda ended up with a little kid today.”

  
“What, how did you manage that?”

  
“Dr. Grey called for help, she had a newborn baby boy who didn’t have a family. He’s the coolest baby, we just got home with him. Wash is getting him used to this place.”

  
“That’s so great. Tell Wash I have some baby clothes here, they should work out for a newborn. I’ll send Grif over with them. Dinner will be at six. See you then.”

  
“Yeah, I’ll see ya.”

  
Wash took David to see his new room. He was hoping he liked his bassinet. He laid David down so he could finish his nap. The baby started fussing right away. Wash picked him up and he stopped.

  
“You like to be held, huh? Okay, I’m supposed to resting so we can relax together. You’ll like that won’t you?”

  
The baby cooed at him. Wash carried to him to the living room and they relaxed on the couch. The baby’s eyes closed, he was ready to finish his nap.

  
Tucker came in, and sat on the floor beside Wash. He couldn’t stop looking at the baby, he couldn’t believe David was theirs.

“Mind if I hold him babe?”

  
“Go ahead.” Wash gently passed the baby over.

David opened his eyes and saw Tucker. He looked confused, he didn’t really cry, but he wasn’t happy. He looked up at Wash and tried to reach for him.

  
Wash held his hand. “It’s okay baby, I’m right here. Tucker’s your Daddy too. He wants to get to know you.”

  
“Oh man, he doesn’t like me.”

  
“Give him time, he doesn’t know who you are yet. I only look familiar to him because his mother had blond hair.”

David started fussing, Tucker gave him back to Wash.

  
Tucker sighed. “It still hurts.” He touched David’s cheek and gave him a kiss. The baby was at least interested in who he was.

Chloe came over and sat on Tucker’s lap. All three of them talked to him. David loved being the center of attention.

  
Grif knocked on the door. Tucker went to answer it. Wash tried to get up with the baby. Grif handed Tucker a bag.

  
“Here’s some baby junk for you guys. Ah, so there’s the little rug rat.” He grinned at the baby. “Hate to admit it, but he’s kinda cute.”

  
“No, he’s really cute, but he only likes Wash.” Tucker could hold a grudge.

  
“Ha Wash, Tucker really suckered you into the whole parent thing. But he’s one lucky kid to have parents like you, you guys deserve to have him.” Grif could never handle sentimental stuff. “See ya soon losers.”

  
“Oh yeah Tucker, it’s getting late. I’m going to dress the baby, you get yourself and Chloe ready.”

  
An hour later, Wash was still waiting on Tucker. “Hurry up you two, no one cares what you look like.”

  
Wash was still recovering from his C-section, he had to wear loose clothing. He had on black sweat pants and a blue sweat shirt.

Tucker came out wearing dressy jeans and a black t-shirt that showed off his well toned muscles. Chloe had her favorite pink and white dress and her hair was pulled back with a dark pink bow.

  
Wash felt out of place. “I feel so underdressed with you two.”

  
Over at the Grif-Simmons household, Thanksgiving was hectic. Simmons was struggling to get dinner on the table, the turkey wouldn’t cooperate, and the twins were underfoot driving him crazy.

  
He stopped everything to meet little David. He wanted to hold him, and the baby let him, he didn’t cry at all.

  
“Oh, he’s so precious. You guys are so lucky, he was so meant for you.”

  
Tucker grumbled. “How come he likes you? What’s so wrong with me?”

  
Wash elbowed him to shut up.

  
Grif ruined the moment. He turned to Simmons. “Don’t you dare get any more ideas, and where the hell’s the turkey. I’m starving.”

  
“You keep asking me that every five minutes, when it’s ready I’ll tell you…oh fine, it’s ready. Come on everyone.”

  
David yawned and tried to go to sleep. Wash couldn’t eat with the baby in his arms.

Simmons tried to help. “Go ahead and put him in the twins’ nursery. He can sleep in one of the cribs.”

  
Wash put him down and stayed a few minutes until he was asleep. He joined the others and made a plate. Halfway through the meal, David started crying.

  
“Don’t worry babe, I got him. Finish eating.”

Tucker went to his son. Wash finished his meal. Tucker still wasn’t back. He went in to make sure the two were okay. The sight he saw brought tears to his eyes.

  
Tucker was sitting with David in the rocking chair, he was lightly singing to him. Tucker had an amazing singing voice, Wash never realized it. Little David was mesmerized, he loved it.

  
When Tucker finished, David lay contentedly in his arms. Tucker gave him kisses and talked softly to him. Those two finally broke the ice.

David knew Tucker was his father as much as Wash was.  
Tucker noticed Wash standing in the doorway and he smiled. He whispered. “He likes me now.” Tucker was so happy.

  
Wash gave him a thumbs up and quietly let them spend some time together. At first, he wasn’t sure it would work out with adopting David, now he had no doubts.

  
This baby was meant to be their son. It was weird how life didn’t always work out the way you thought…


	20. Chapter 20

 

The next month passed by quickly. Soon it was Christmas. This was a big moment for the Tucker family. Their first Christmas as an official family. Tucker went all out for the holiday.

  
Wash was finally feeling better. He retired from the military and focused all his time on raising their kids. He was happier that way.

He still thought of Lucas a lot. Deep down, he still blamed himself, but David was helping him to heal. He kept Wash awfully busy.

  
On Christmas Eve, Tucker came home with a live Christmas tree. He could hardly get it through the door. After knocking off a few lower branches and several pictures off the wall, he made it through.

  
“Tucker, I thought you were getting an artificial tree? You’re getting pine needles all over the floor.”

  
“Quit being a Scrooge, you buzzkill, this is our first Christmas with both of the kids. I wanted it to be special. You can’t do that with an artificial tree.”

  
Wash didn’t look thrilled. Tucker wasn’t the one that would be vacuuming up all this mess. It added one more thing to his chore list.

  
Chloe squealed when she saw it. When she was with her mom, she never had a Christmas. Last year, thanks to her dads, she had her first Christmas ever. She loved the tree most of all.

  
“Will Santa really come?” This worried her. Her mother terrorized her by saying Santa would never visit her because Chloe ruined her life.

It broke Tucker’s heart to know the daughter he loved so much was treated was so cruelly.

  
“He certainly will. You were such a good girl this year.” She gave a big smile. “This box has the tree ornaments. Can you help me decorate it?”

  
“Yeah!” After planning on where each one should go, she carefully hung each ornament. She didn’t want to break any.

  
Wash held David in his arms so he could watch. His eyes were big with excitement. He didn’t know what was going on, but it looked fun. He smiled while watching Chloe decorate and he tried to grab at the ornaments.

  
The tree was finished by evening. Wash made some hot chocolate, and the four of them sat together while watching the tree.

It was getting late, David was already asleep on Tucker’s lap. Chloe gave a big yawn.

  
Wash whispered. “Let’s get the kids to bed, then we can finish the gifts.”

  
After half an hour of convincing Chloe that she needed to go to bed, Tucker started the project he dreaded: assembling Chloe’s Christmas present.

  
Wash already had all the kids’ presents wrapped, it was Tucker’s job to build Chloe’s princess castle play set. He was terrible at it.

  
“Wash, how do put this damn castle together?”

  
“Why didn’t you start it sooner? You’ll never have it ready by morning.”

  
“It’s too big to try to hide it, what if she had seen it? She’s gonna be so excited tomorrow.”

  
“Not if you don’t get it finished. Let me help.”

  
Tucker disappeared while Wash fought to put the pink plastic castle together. He had it pretty much finished when Tucker showed up. He had a big pink bow to put on it.

  
“Wow, that’s cool. She’s gonna love it. Great job babe!”

  
Wash glared slightly. “I like how you helped me.”

  
“Hey, I went through a lot of trouble for this bow. See, it’s perfect.”

  
Wash rolled his eyes. “I hate you sometimes. Let’s get to bed, Chloe is going to have us up so early.”

  
Tucker put his arms around Wash’s waist. “We don’t have any miseltoe, but we can pretend. Merry Christmas babe.”

  
Wash stopped being mad. He put his arms around Tucker. “Merry Christmas hon.” They had their Christmas kiss.

  
At six in the morning, Chloe started. “Is it gift time yet?”

  
Tucker kept saying no, and tried to go back to sleep. After nearly an hour of this they both gave up.

  
Wash had been up half the night with the baby, he was glad he didn’t need much sleep. He groaned as he got up. “You win Chloe, let’s open gifts.”

  
Actually, all the gifts were for the kids. Wash and Tucker agreed to not exchange gifts this year. Instead, the invested in wedding rings for each other. Wash was happy with that choice.

  
First off, Chloe saw her pink castle. “Wow, is that for me?”

  
Tucker smiled. “Sure is sweetie. That’s from me and your dad.” He helped her move it from under the tree.

  
She grabbed ahold of his waist and gave him a big hug. “Thanks Daddy!”

  
She ran over to Wash who was holding David on the couch. She threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you Daddy.”

  
“You’re welcome. You deserve it, you were such a good girl all year. All those presents with the pink princess paper are yours too. See, Santa didn’t forget about you this year.”

  
“That’s cool.”

  
Tucker helped open the baby’s presents. He could grow into his toys through the year.

Finally, he handed a package to Wash. He wrapped it in newspaper with a red bow.

  
Wash looked confused. “We said no presents this year.”

  
“So what, just open it.”

  
He unwrapped an aqua colored photo album. The cover was inscribed in dark grey lettering “The Tucker Family Memories.”

  
He took in a deep breath, he was trying not to get teary eyed. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you had this made.”

  
“Yep, we’re all now officially a family, so I figured this was appropriate. Most of these pictures are of the kids that I took on my phone. I have a few of Junior, and on the front page, I put Lucas’ ultrasound picture. That way he’s always in our hearts.”

  
Wash’s tears fell when he saw his baby. The next page was of him with Chloe and one of him with David. “When did you take those?”

  
“The day you signed Chloe’s adoption papers, and when you first held David at Dr. Grey’s office. Those are two of my favorite pictures.”

  
Wash wiped the tears off his face. “This is the greatest, thank you honey.” He gave Tucker a big kiss.

  
“It needs one more picture though.” He set his camera on a timer, he sat beside Chloe and Wash, David was in Wash’s arms. The camera clicked. “Now we have our full families’ first Christmas.”

  
Wash smiled. “That’s perfect.”

  
Chloe grabbed Wash’s hand. “Come play with me and my new toys Daddy.”

  
“Sure honey.” Tucker played with David so he could see his new toys.

  
Wash kind of sat back and wondered how he got here. The great Agent Washington from a tough, abusive family, now had a sweetheart of a husband and two great kids. How did it all happen?

  
All he knew was he was going to enjoy his life and have fun with his family. That’s all he’s ever wanted.  
  


 


End file.
